commencement

Celebrate the Class of 2024 at Commencement

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Congratulations to the class of 2024! This year’s Commencement is scheduled for 10 a.m. Sunday, June 16, on the campus Quad. Here’s what you need to know about the weekend’s events surrounding Kalamazoo College Commencement and the ceremony itself. 

Rehearsal

Seniors are required to attend Commencement rehearsal at 2 p.m. Thursday at Dalton Theatre. Faculty and staff will provide graduating seniors with pertinent information, including what to do during an intricate line-up and processional. Students who need to be excused from rehearsal should contact the Office of Alumni Engagement in advance at alumni@kzoo.edu. There will be a senior picnic on the Dewing Hall patio after the rehearsal. 

Parking This Weekend

For your convenience, most of the faculty, staff and student parking lots will be open to everyone. Guests are also invited to use street parking on campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods. See the parking information page for details related to street detours, graduate and accessible drop-off, campus parking lots, street parking, campus maps and more.

Class of 2024 Commencement
The Office of Alumni Engagement maintains a website that offers more details regarding Commencement, including a list of frequently asked questions, dining and lodging information, and ceremony accommodations for the class of 2024. For more information, visit the site at commencement.kzoo.edu.

Saturday Events

Receptions for individual departments help families meet professors and see individual projects from selected seniors. Consult the department schedules for information on the time and location for each event. The day’s remaining events—including the Senior Awards Program, the Senior Music Recital and the Baccalaureate—will take place at Stetson Chapel.

Seniors receiving awards will get an invitation from the Provost’s Office after finals to attend the Senior Awards Program, which begins at 2:30 p.m. Contact the Office of the Provost by email if you have questions about the event. The Senior Music Recital is a public concert at 4:30 p.m. featuring performances by graduating seniors who have been involved in music. All are welcome to attend. The Baccalaureate is a public non-religious service with student and faculty speakers and musical performances beginning at 8 p.m.

Livestreams for the Senior Awards Program, Senior Music Recital and Baccalaureate will be available for those unable to attend. An information desk will be staffed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the atrium at Hicks Student Center. The College’s bookstore will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Commencement Sunday

Seniors unable to attend the ceremony should inform the Office of the Registrar as soon as possible at regist@kzoo.edu. All participating seniors should meet at Dalton Theatre in their cap and gown no later than 9:30 a.m. Although Commencement will take place outside regardless of weather conditions, the ceremony could be delayed by up to three hours if there is heavy rain or severe weather. Communication about a delay would be sent through a K-Alert, social media and email no later than 8 a.m. Sunday. The ceremony is scheduled to last about two and a half hours.

There are no tickets or rain tickets required for the ceremony, and there is no limit to the number of guests each senior can invite to campus. Chairs will be available to accommodate family and friends on the Quad on a first-come, first-served basis. Open seating will also be available on the grass of the Upper Quad, where guests can sit in lawn chairs and blankets to view the ceremony.

Guests with a mobility challenge can find answers to frequently asked questions on our accessibility information page. An information desk will be staffed from 8 to 10:30 a.m. in the atrium at Hicks Student Center. The College’s bookstore will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Commencement Speakers

The Commencement keynote speaker will be Tamea Evans ’93, a board-certified internal medicine physician and diabetologist, who will receive an honorary Doctor of Science from the College. The class speaker will be Nghĩa (Nolan) Nguyên Trịnh.

More Information 

The Office of Alumni Engagement maintains a website for the class of 2024 that offers more details regarding Commencement, including a list of frequently asked questions, dining and lodging information, and ceremony accommodations. For more information, visit the site at commencement.kzoo.edu. 

Dr. Tamea Evans ’93 to Deliver K Commencement Address

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Kalamazoo College is proud to announce Dr. Tamea Evans ’93 as the commencement speaker for the ceremony scheduled on June 16, 2024, at 10 a.m. on the campus Quadrangle.

Evans, an alumna of Kalamazoo College, is a board-certified internal medicine physician and diabetologist recognized for her contributions to healthcare and community health initiatives. The College will also award Evans with an honorary Doctor of Science.

A first-generation college student, Evans graduated from Kalamazoo College with a B.S. in health sciences. She earned her medical degree from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and completed her Internal Medicine residency there after an internship at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her commitment to improving health outcomes was recognized in 2019 when she was named a physician champion for the Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support program by the Kentucky Department of Public Health.

Evans is currently a physician at CenterWell Senior Primary Care in Louisville, Kentucky, where she also serves as the area medical director for the Kentucky and Southern Indiana Market. Prior to joining CenterWell in 2023, Evans worked for the University of Louisville Physicians and led the medical team at the University of Louisville Health’s Urgent Care Plus, a clinic established in 2021 with a strong focus on promoting health equity. She has also served at Baptist Health Richmond, Whitehouse Clinics in Richmond, Family Health Centers in Louisville, and Lexington Diabetic Clinic.

Last year she was elected as member at large for the Greater Louisville Medical Society. Additionally, she is a charter board member of the Falls City Medical Society, actively serves on the NAACP Health Committee and is president for the Louisville Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. She is a charter member of Jack and Jill of America and a member of the Sisterhood of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

For more information about the commencement ceremony, including a full schedule of events, visit our website.

Portrait of Commencement Address Speaker Dr. Tamea Evans
Dr. Tamea Evans ’93, a board-certified internal medicine physician and diabetologist recognized for her contributions to healthcare and community health initiatives, will deliver the Commencement address at Kalamazoo College on Sunday, June 16.

Commencement Slated for Sunday

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Congratulations to the class of 2023! This year’s Commencement is scheduled for 10 a.m. Sunday, June 11, on the campus Quad. Here’s what you need to know about the weekend’s events surrounding Kalamazoo College Commencement and the ceremony itself. 

Rehearsal

Seniors are required to attend Commencement rehearsal at 4 p.m. Thursday at Dalton Theatre. Faculty and staff will provide graduating seniors with pertinent information including what to do during an intricate line-up and processional. Students who need to be excused from rehearsal should contact the Office of Alumni Engagement in advance at alumni@kzoo.edu. There will be a senior picnic on the Stetson Chapel patio after the rehearsal. 

Parking This Weekend

For your convenience, most of the faculty, staff and student parking lots will be open to everyone. Guests are also invited to use street parking on campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods. See the parking information page for details related to street detours, graduate and accessible drop-off, campus parking lots, street parking, campus maps and more.

Commencement 2022
The class of 2023 will celebrate Commencement at 10 a.m. Sunday on the campus Quad.

Commencement Saturday 

Receptions for individual departments help families meet professors and see individual projects from selected seniors. Consult the department schedules for information on the time and location for each event. The day’s remaining events—including the Senior Awards Program, the Senior Music Recital and the Baccalaureate—will take place at Stetson Chapel.

Seniors receiving awards will get an invitation from the Provost’s Office after finals to attend the Senior Awards Program, which begins at 2:30 p.m. Contact the Office of the Provost by email if you have questions about the event. The Senior Music Recital is a public concert at 4:30 p.m. featuring performances by graduating seniors who have been involved in music. All are welcome to attend. The Baccalaureate is a public non-religious service with student and faculty speakers and musical performances beginning at 8 p.m.

Livestreams for the Senior Awards Program, Senior Music Recital and Baccalaureate will be available for those unable to attend. An information desk will be staffed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the atrium at Hicks Student Center. The College’s bookstore will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Commencement Sunday

All seniors should meet at Dalton Theatre in their cap and gown no later than 9:30 a.m. Although Commencement will take place outside regardless of weather conditions, the ceremony could be delayed by up to three hours if there is heavy rain or severe weather. Communication about a delay would be sent through a K-Alert, social media and email no later than 8 a.m. Sunday. The ceremony is scheduled to last about two and a half hours.

There are no tickets or rain tickets required for the ceremony, and there is no limit to the number of guests each senior can invite to campus. Chairs will be available to accommodate family and friends on the Quad on a first-come, first-served basis. Open seating will also be available on the grass of the Upper Quad, where guests can sit in lawn chairs and blankets to view the ceremony.

Guests with a mobility challenge can find answers to frequently asked questions on our accessibility information page. An information desk will be staffed from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the atrium at Hicks Student Center. The College’s bookstore will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Commencement Speakers

Alumnus Larry J. Bell ’80, the founder of Bell’s Brewery, Inc., and author Jaroslav Kalfař will be the ceremony’s featured speakers.

Bell majored in political science at K before founding Bell’s Brewery Inc. in 1985. Kalfař’s debut novel, Spaceman of Bohemia, was the Summer Common Reading book for the incoming class of 2018, and Kalfař visited campus in September of that year to discuss his book as part of new student orientation. Per K tradition, he returns to address this same class of students at their commencement.

Bell and Kalfar both will receive honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees.

More Information 

The Office of Alumni Engagement maintains a website that offers more details regarding Commencement including a list of frequently asked questions, dining and lodging information, and ceremony accommodations. For more information, visit the site at commencement.kzoo.edu. 

Commencement Author Jaroslav Kalfař
Author Jaroslav Kalfař will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from K during Commencement on Sunday.
Commencement speaker Larry Bell with his wife, Shannon Bell, and President Jorge G. Gonzalez
Larry Bell ’80, the founder of Bell’s Brewery, Inc., will address the class of 2023 at Commencement on Sunday.

Bell’s Founder, Author to Earn Honorary Degrees at Commencement

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Alumnus Larry J. Bell ’80, founder of Bell’s Brewery, Inc., will be welcomed as Kalamazoo College’s 2023 Commencement speaker on Sunday, June 11.

Bell majored in political science at K before going on to found Bell’s Brewery Inc. in 1985—one of the earliest craft breweries in the Midwest. With popular and award-winning beers like Two Hearted Ale, Oberon and Hopslam, Bell’s Brewery grew into one of the largest craft breweries in the U.S., distributing to 43 states. In 2010, Bell was honored with The Brewers Association Recognition Award for his innovative brewing and dedication to the industry. He was also recognized in 2010 by Kalamazoo College with its Distinguished Achievement Award, which honors those alumni who have achieved distinction in their professional fields. Upper Hand Brewery, a sister company based in Escanaba on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, opened in 2014.

In November 2021, Bell reached an agreement with Lion, an Australian-based brewer, for the sale of Bell’s, and Bell officially retired from the helm of the company at the end of 2021. That year he was also named environmentalist of the year by the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter for his years of advocacy work, which included helping found the Great Lakes Business Network, a non-partisan business group that advocates for thriving ecosystems, economies, and communities in the Great Lakes Region. Since retirement, Bell has remained active philanthropically, making more than $14 million in donations to local organizations, including Kalamazoo College. A longtime supporter of the College, Bell has helped to fund food justice and sustainability programming, including support for The Larry J. Bell ’80 Environmental Stewardship Center in 2022. He also established a distinguished chair in American history, and in 2016, he endowed a scholarship fund for students needing financial assistance. Bell has also been a strong supporter of the arts in Kalamazoo, serving as Past Board President for the Irving S. Gilmore International Piano Festival; in 2022 he made a gift to The Gilmore to establish two awards for exceptional jazz pianists. He has also established the Larry J. Bell Library Foundation, which is developing a research library in downtown Kalamazoo to host Bell’s extensive collection of historical books and art collections. In addition to serving as the Commencement keynote speaker, Bell will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the College.

Along with Bell, author Jaroslav Kalfař will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from K. His debut novel, Spaceman of Bohemia, was the Summer Common Reading book for the incoming class of 2018, and Kalfař visited campus in September of that year to discuss his book as part of new student orientation. Per K tradition, he returns to address this same class of students at their commencement.

Kalfař was born in the Czech Republic, moving to the U.S. at age 15. He earned an M.F.A. from New York University, where he was a Goldwater Fellow and a nominee for the first E.L. Doctorow Prize. In 2018, he was a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship. Spaceman of Bohemia was a finalist for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, The Arthur C. Clarke Award and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and a nominee for the Dublin Literary Award. The book has been published in fifteen languages. A film adaptation directed by Johan Renck, starring Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan, and Paul Dano, is coming to Netflix in 2023. Kalfar recently released his newest novel, A Brief History of Living Forever.

Past Kalamazoo College honorary degree recipients

Commencement speaker Larry Bell with his wife, Shannon Bell, and President Jorge G. Gonzalez
Larry Bell ’80, founder of Bell’s Brewery, Inc., will be welcomed as Kalamazoo College’s 2023 Commencement speaker on Sunday, June 12.
Commencement Author Jaroslav Kalfař
Author Jaroslav Kalfař will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Kalamazoo College during Commencement on Sunday, June 12.

Alumni Reflect on the Advice They Would’ve Given Themselves

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Students, faculty and staff practice the procession for Commencement on the Quad
Graduates-to-be on Thursday rehearsed the processional they will execute during
Commencement on the Quad at Kalamazoo College.

Spring term finals are over. Kalamazoo College’s faculty and staff are preparing for Commencement. And seniors, through a traditional rehearsal, have received their last instructions for Sunday’s ceremony. To help smooth the students’ transitions away from undergraduate life, we asked some faculty and staff who are K alumni themselves to share what advice they would go back and give themselves as they graduated.

Here’s what they had to say of that advice. We hope it will be valuable for the class of 2022.

Professor of History Charlene Boyer Lewis ’87

“Remember that no matter how carefully you plan for the future, something is going to come along to change your plans—and sometimes that change will be amazing!”

Enrollment Systems Manager Dan Kibby ’91

“Looking back, I cannot remember a single instance where I later wished I’d been less kind.”

Kalamazoo College Chaplain Liz Candido ’00

Two male faculty and a female grad-to-be on Commencement stage during rehearsal advice
Graduates-to-be Thursday were advised they will
shake hands with President Jorge G. Gonzalez, receive
their diploma, move their tassel and have their picture
taken while crossing the stage.

“Be imperfect. Some of the best things in my life have come as the result of some screw-up or mistake. Lose your fear of doing it wrong or incorrectly, and let yourself blunder into something unexpected and wonderful!”

Web Content Specialist Martin Hansknecht ’20

“Know that the skills you developed while at K are deeply transferable across industries, and be open to the curve balls life throws at you. But before that, take time to celebrate all you have accomplished during your four years at K—even though it may feel self-indulgent to celebrate anything positive during the dawn of a pandemic.” 

Admission Counselor Lezlie Lull ’20

“Say yes. Visit your friends. Enjoy your weekends. As you transition into a new life stage, take your time and enjoy the small moments, and don’t forget to visit your parents!”

We’re excited for the class of 2022 to join the ranks of our alumni!

Bronson Senior Executive to Address Class of 2022

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2022-Commencement-Speaker-Bronson-Healthcare-President-and-Chief-Executive-Officer-Bill-Manns
Bronson Healthcare President and Chief Executive
Officer Bill Manns will address the class of 2022 and
receive an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters
at 10 a.m. Sunday, June 12.

The senior executive of the largest employer and leading healthcare system in southwest Michigan will serve as the keynote speaker at Kalamazoo College’s commencement ceremony in June.

Bronson Healthcare President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Manns will address the class of 2022 and receive an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters at 10 a.m. Sunday, June 12, as the ceremony returns to the campus Quad. Manns oversees all Bronson services from primary care to critical care across more than 100 locations.

Before joining Bronson, Manns was the president of St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Ann Arbor and St. Joseph Mercy Livingston from 2018–2020, the president of Mercy Health Saint Mary’s Campus in Grand Rapids from 2013–2018, the Alameda Health System chief operating officer (Oakland, California) from 2005–2013, and Ascension Providence Hospital (Southfield, Michigan) chief operations officer and executive vice president from 1996–2005.

His professional memberships have included the National Association of Healthcare Executives, the American College of Healthcare Executives, and an appointment by the Governor of Michigan to the state’s Public Health Advisory Council. Modern Healthcare magazine named Manns to its Top 25 Innovators list in 2021, recognizing his innovative approach to engaging leaders and physicians in counteracting the negative financial impact created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Manns has served on the boards of several organizations across Michigan, including Bronson Health Foundation, Cascade Engineering, First National Bank of Michigan, Gilmore Car Museum, Michigan Health and Hospital Association (MHA), MHA Service Corporation, Aquinas College, Southwest Michigan First and Western Michigan University Homer Stryker, M.D. School of Medicine. He has two degrees from the University of Michigan, a bachelor’s degree in organizational psychology and a master’s degree in health services administration.

Find more information about commencement including a full schedule of events at our website.

Renowned Painter, Pioneering Journalist to Speak at Commencement Events

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Kalamazoo College is pleased and honored to welcome both a world-renowned painter and a pioneering journalist—both alumnae of the College—as its keynote speakers when it celebrates the commencements of the Class of 2021 and the Class of 2020 at Angell Field.

Julie Mehretu ’92

Julie Mehretu ’92, one of the country’s most celebrated contemporary artists, will deliver the 2021 Commencement address at 10 a.m. on June 13.

Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mehretu lives and works in New York City and Berlin. Mehretu creates large-scale abstract paintings, drawings, and prints that draw from the histories of art and human civilization, exploring themes such as capitalism, globalism, migration and climate change. Her work has been exhibited extensively in museums and biennials including the Carnegie International (2004–05); Sydney Biennial (2006); Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York (2010); dOCUMENTA (13) (2012); Sharjah Biennial (2015); Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Serralves, Porto, Portugal (2017); Kettle’s Yard, University of Cambridge, UK (2019); and the 58th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, (2019).

Among the largest and best known of her commissioned works are Mural, a 23-by-80-foot painting that Mehretu created for the lobby of Goldman Sachs in 2010, and the HOWL, eon (I, II) series at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, which stand at 23-by-32 feet each and flank the main staircase of the museum’s atrium.

Commencement speaker Julie Mehretu
Julie Mehretu ’92, a world-renowned painter, will be the Commencement speaker for Kalamazoo College’s Class of 2021 on Sunday, June 13.

Mehretu has been honored with numerous awards, including a MacArthur Fellowship in 2005 and the U.S. Department of State Medal of Arts in 2015. In 2020, TIME named Mehretu to its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and is represented by Marian Goodman Gallery, New York/Paris. A mid-career survey of Mehretu’s work is currently on view at the Whitney Museum of American Art through August 8.

Mehretu received a B.A. from Kalamazoo College, studied abroad at the University Cheik Anta Diop, Dakar Senegal, and received a Master’s of Fine Art with honors from The Rhode Island School of Design in 1997. She will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters at the Commencement ceremony.

Charlotte Hall ’66

Trailblazing journalist Charlotte Hall ’66 will give the commencement address to the Class of 2020 in a celebration honoring last year’s graduates. This in-person event at 10 a.m. June 12 will recognize alumni whose degrees were conferred in a virtual ceremony last year.

Hall is the retired editor and senior vice president of the Orlando Sentinel, where she oversaw the newsroom’s transformation into a digital news provider. Before joining the Sentinel, Hall spent 22 years at Newsday on Long Island, rising through the ranks to managing editor and vice president. Under her direction, Newsday reporters won numerous honors, including the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. Hall served as a Pulitzer juror three times. For her efforts to increase newsroom diversity at Newsday, Hall received the Robert G. McGruder Award for Diversity Leadership in 2003 from the American Society of News Editors and the Associated Press Managing Editors.

Hall served as president of the American Society of News Editors and later as the president of the Society’s foundation. She also served on the Accrediting Committee of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC).

Since her retirement in 2010, Hall has been active in journalism organizations and in higher education. In 2011, she was the Reynolds Distinguished Visiting Professor of Journalism at Washington and Lee University. She currently serves on the Temple University Journalism Board of Advisors.  She also has been active in nonprofit journalism.

Commencement Speaker Charlotte Hall
Charlotte Hall ’66, a member of Kalamazoo College’s Board of Trustees and a retired pioneering journalist, will be the Commencement speaker Saturday, June 12, for the Class of 2020.

Hall has served on the Board of Trustees of Kalamazoo College for 22 years and led the Board as its first female chair from 2013-2019. She participated in two presidential searches, chairing the search committee that nominated President Jorge G. Gonzalez.

She received her B.A. from Kalamazoo College and her M.A. from the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago. Hall will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters at the Commencement ceremony.

Conferral of Degrees Speaker: Prioritize Equity, Solidarity

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Conferral of Degrees Speaker Rosella LoChirco
Rosella LoChirco will address Kalamazoo College’s class of 2020 in a Conferral of Degrees ceremony at 1 p.m. Sunday, June 14. Watch at kzoo.edu/commencement.

Watch the 2020 Baccalaureate ceremony

On a day that Kalamazoo College would normally welcome thousands of people to campus, the Quad will be quiet and still, as K’s in-person Commencement has been postponed in 2020. Yet that won’t stop the institution from honoring the achievements of its graduating class, or this class from celebrating and receiving a message of hope.

At 1 p.m. June 14, Provost Danette Ifert Johnson will read the names of the graduates, and Rosella LoChirco ’20, draped in a cap and gown, will address her peers as the class speaker in a virtual Conferral of Degrees ceremony.

LoChirco, a philosophy major from Rochester, Michigan, will tell graduates to prioritize social equity and solidarity as they move on to their next chapters.

“I want to encourage my class to double down on our commitments to each other and to our communities because that says more about our true identities than any job title can,” LoChirco said.

After all, as soon-to-be Kalamazoo College grads, they’ve spent the past four years building their identities on those ideals, and the challenges they’ve encountered this term make celebrating their accomplishments even more important.

“We all envisioned graduation to be one thing,” LoChirco said. “We find ourselves in multiple crises right now, and there is so much pain related not just to COVID-19 but to racial discrimination in our country. I want to use this opportunity to reflect on recent events and create space for the mix of celebration, sadness and frustration that many of my classmates and I are feeling.”

LoChirco will begin life as a K alumna with a fellowship from Venture for America, a prestigious honor that prepares recent college graduates for careers as entrepreneurs while they’re placed in ambitious start-up businesses across the U.S. She said she’s in the matching phase of that fellowship program and is excited despite her yet-unknown placement as the College has prepared her to embrace uncertainty.

“With the relationships I had with professors and the confidence I gained in the classroom and study abroad, I’m ready to take on new challenges because I’ve done it before,” she said. “And I’ve found people along the way who really supported me.”

K’s class of 2020 includes:

  • 331 expected Commencement participants;
  • 207 Michiganders;
  • students from 23 states;
  • students from 10 countries including the U.S.;
  • biology, business and chemistry as the most represented majors; and
  • 104 double majors and five triple majors.

“Our world is going through concurrent crises and to still have a moment where we can celebrate our achievement and be together virtually is really special to me,” LoChirco said.

Kalamazoo College Postpones 2020 Commencement

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Commencement 1
While the in-person Commencement will be postponed, the College will hold a virtual Conferral of Degrees ceremony on June 14.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic and recommendations from public health organizations, Kalamazoo College has announced it is postponing its in-person Commencement 2020 ceremony until a later date.

In a message to the senior class, President Jorge G. Gonzalez said, “This has been a tremendously difficult decision for us to make; however, public health experts continue to advise against large group gatherings as we head into summer. While the tradition of Commencement is sacred and dear, your safety and the safety of your families must come first. Nevertheless, I want to reassure you that we will have a Commencement ceremony for the class of 2020 on campus once it is safe to do so.”

While in-person events will be postponed, the College will hold a virtual Conferral of Degrees ceremony on June 14. Members of K’s Class of 2020 and their friends and families are invited to gather together online as College leadership recognizes each student and confers their Kalamazoo College degrees.

More information on K’s response to COVID-19 can be found at the link listed on the Kalamazoo College homepage.

Class of 2018 Celebrates Commencement June 17

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Kalamazoo College’s 2018 Commencement will take place at 1 p.m. Sunday, June 17, on the campus Quad. A total of 318 members of the class of 2018 are expected to participate in the ceremony with biology, business, psychology and chemistry representing the most popular majors.

Class of 2018 Commencement 2
Kalamazoo College will conduct its Commencement ceremony June 17. A total of 318 members of the class of 2018 are expected to participate.

Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez will welcome graduates along with about 2,000 family members and friends, faculty, staff, trustees, alumni and community members.

This year’s class includes:

  • 197 Michiganders;
  • students from 26 states including Illinois, California, Washington, Florida and Massachusetts;
  • students from 14 countries including China, Vietnam and India; and
  • 93 double majors and three triple majors.

Rain Location

If inclement weather forces the ceremony indoors, it will take place at Anderson Athletic Center, where tickets will be required for entry. Each senior will receive five tickets that will be distributed at the mandatory senior rehearsal at 4 p.m. Thursday, June 14. No extra tickets will be issued. If events are forced indoors, graduating students will receive an email around 9 a.m. Sunday with that information. Such an announcement would also be made at K’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

Commencement Parking

All faculty, staff and student parking lots will be available to families and guests. Click the link with the title of each lot below to see its location on our interactive map.

Vehicles must be parked in marked stalls. Permits are only required for handicapped spaces. If you choose to park in a surrounding neighborhood, please note all posted regulations, which are maintained by the City of Kalamazoo.

Handicapped Guests and Parking

Limited handicapped parking spaces are clearly marked and available throughout campus, both on streets near campus buildings and in campus lots. Handicapped spaces are reserved for vehicles with a state permit.

Due to limited handicapped parking, a designated drop-off area will be available on Campus Drive in front of Hoben Hall, accessible from Academy Street. Families may drop off guests for barrier-free access to the Quad before finding parking elsewhere on campus.

A designated seating area will be available for guests in wheelchairs on the northeast side of the Hicks Center. Families with guests in wheelchairs who would like to reserve seating in this area should contact Kerri Barker at 269.337.7289 or kerri.barker@kzoo.edu. Guests in wheelchairs who wish to sit with their entire party elsewhere on the Quad may do so.

Barrier-free restrooms are available at Olds Upton Hall at the south side of the building, near the main entrance at the Hicks Center, and in Stetson Chapel at the south side of the building.

Keynote Speaker

Keynote Speaker for the class of 2018 Deborah Bial
Deborah Bial, the Posse Foundation’s president and founder, will address the class of 2018.

K will celebrate its relationship with the acclaimed Posse Foundation when it welcomes the organization’s president and founder, Deborah Bial, as its commencement keynote speaker.

Posse gives talented, high-achieving students from urban public schools the opportunity to attend top colleges and universities on tuition scholarships while ensuring they have a support group to help them navigate the cultural challenges of a new landscape.

Kalamazoo College has partnered with the Posse Foundation since 2008. K’s sixth cohort of Los Angeles Posse students will graduate this year. Its 10th cohort will arrive on campus as first-year students this fall.

Bial earned her B.A. at Brandeis University and her M.A. and Ed.D. at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. She received a MacArthur Fellowship award in 2007.

Class of 2018 Student Speaker

Elyse Tuennerman, a sociology and anthropology major with a public policy and urban affairs concentration, is the student speaker.

Elyse Tuennerman Class of 2018
Elyse Tuennerman will serve as the class of 2018 student speaker.

Tuennerman, of Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania, is a Senior Leadership Recognition Award recipient, the co-editor-in-chief of the student newspaper The Index, the office coordinator for the Student Funding Board and an Admission tour guide. She served as a President’s Student Ambassador for her sophomore through senior years, giving the student keynote address at the 2017 President’s Community Breakfast last fall.

Tuennerman became a class agent during her senior year and will continue to serve in that leadership role as an alumna, keeping her classmates connected with the College.

Baccalaureate

Baccalaureate, a non-denominational service with student and faculty speakers and musical performances, will be at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 16, at Stetson Chapel. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. A sound system will be set up outside of the chapel for overflow. Some guests choose to bring a blanket and relax on the lawn of the chapel.